Slightly Off the Mark: movie review: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Well, here's still another movie that doesn't need my help to be successful. In fact, the most helpful thing I could do is warn casual moviegoers: "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is not what you might think.

The movie opens with Doctor Strange, a magician played with the usual skill by Benedict Cumberbatch, trying to protect a teenage girl from an attacking monster.

It kills him.

Next we find Doctor Strange trying to protect a teenage girl from an attacking monster. This time he succeeds; it's the same girl, but a different Strange.

Things get more Strange from here. The good Doctor's attempt to save the universe--well, all the universes--takes him from one dimension to another, fleeing an unexpected enemy far more powerful than he is. Along the way we get some old favorites (was the first Doctor Strange really six years ago?), and cool cameo appearances.

But you have to understand this: Marvel movies have been fantasies, comedies, action-adventure, and science fiction, but this one is a flat out horror movie.

Consider that before you take your kids. This isn't just comic book violence, and the people who die aren't just background characters. It gets graphic, and it gets, well, horrible. It's also a great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a good movie in general, so don't let the genre stop you; just be aware.

My Score:

Entertainment Value: 5 out of 5 M&Ms. By now you've figured out that I don't go to the movies unless I'm already pretty sure I'll like the flick. As with many Marvel movies, I marvel (see what I did, there?) at how they manage to put together a tale like this in a way that can be followed by the average viewer.

Oscar Potential: 4 out of 5 M&Ms. Naturally it's visually great, and has amazing performances, especially by Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen. I'd love to see all these characters again--including the dead ones, which in a multiverse is always possible.